If you have been following my writing, you know that I have been a staunch supporter of J.J. McCarthy and trusting the process this season. I have tried to stay positive, even in the face of adversity, but my hope has not been rewarded. Hindsight is 20/20, and if the intention was to compete in 2025, the Minnesota Vikings made the wrong decision at quarterback.
In the land of make-believe
Sam Darnold was not the long-term answer, and neither was Daniel Jones, but we know now that McCarthy was not ready to start this season. The prevailing logic seemed to be, if he can keep improving, we can chalk it up as a success. Unfortunately, we have recently seen regression from the second-year signal caller. For success in 2025, the franchise tag on Sam Darnold may have been the best option for the Vikings, especially considering the low impact that some of the high-profile signings have provided. They could have afforded him. If that was the case, the Vikings would have been better positioned to be in the hunt for the NFC North title.
However, I think the ending would have been a familiar story: one in which the Vikings show promise in the regular season, only to completely collapse when it REALLY matters. I, for one, will accept the current reality if it can upend the trend of stinking it up in the playoffs. I am willing to suffer through a couple of lost seasons, as long as that light is at the end of the tunnel.
I have also said before that Kevin O’Connell has a vision for what he wants his offense to look like, and it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is, he won’t change his approach. We saw it at the end of last season with Darnold and this year with McCarthy. Many fans, including myself, were absolutely perplexed as to why KO wasn’t making playcalling adjustments. It’s because he believes the best way to win is by executing his offense as is (or at least that is my theory). You can call it ego, or hubris, and I don’t think you would be wrong. As much success as we have seen from this team in the last three years, you have to wonder how much of it was riding on the coattails of the previous front office.
Perhaps an unflattering comparison
For all of his flaws, Rick Spielman did hit on multiple cornerstones of this team, including, but not limited to: Justin Jefferson, Harrison Smith, Adrian Peterson, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, and Danielle Hunter. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s drafts have garnered a few every-down starters like Jordan Addison and Donovan Jackson. I will give him credit for drafting the best kicker in the NFL, but the track record is not all that impressive, especially considering how terrible his first draft as the Vikings’ GM was. KAM did find a diamond in the rough in undrafted free agent Jalen Redmond, for which I will give him full credit.
Adofo-Mensah and Spielman do have one thing in common: they both drafted first-round quarterbacks. The parallels between the picks include horrendous play on the field and injuries. Between Christian Ponder, Teddy Bridgewater, and J.J. McCarthy, drafting a first-round quarterback has not garnered net positive results.
There are six games left in the 2025 regular season, and although the Vikings are mathematically still in the hunt for the playoffs, too many things have to happen to make that a playoff seed plausible. A loss to Seattle this weekend decreases playoff hopes to near-zero. A win provides just a glimmer of hope and buys Max Brosmer another start. If he can come in and provide a winning performance, the Vikings have to run with him as quarterback for at least one more game. If he isn’t able to provide the spark for a win, then the season is lost, and people are playing for jobs instead of the playoffs.
Who is on the chopping block?
EVERYONE. If Minnesota doesn’t start winning games at the end of the season, I don’t believe anyone is safe, and that includes Kevin O’Connell. The Wilfs cannot be happy with the on-field product we have seen this season. KO has spoken at length about creating a team that can win any type of football game, but the last two games have shown that there is a type of game we can’t win: a physical one. Last Sunday, we witnessed Emannuel Wilson absolutely bullying the Vikings’ defense for 60 minutes. The stagnant offense we saw in week 12 also isn’t anything new in the O’Connell era. As many explosive plays as the scheme produces, it has also shown stretches of inability to effectively move the football and score in the red zone.
The week before, Chicago dominated time of possession 37:00 to 23:00. The offense failed to show up for multiple quarters, and the defense gave up a deflating 15-play, 74-yard drive that lasted eight minutes and twenty-five seconds. We saw a similarly demoralizing drive from the Green Bay Packers when they marched down the field for a 14-play, 68-yard drive that lasted eight minutes and twenty-one seconds. And then the offense completely no-showed in the second half.
That is absolutely unsustainable, and the blame has to fall on Kevin O’Connell. As tough a pill as that is to swallow, that is where all the success and failure is attributed to on-field execution and performance. McCarthy has been wildly inaccurate and unable to effectively read a defense, and missing wide-open receivers rarely leads to high-level football. But is KO playing to his strengths? Is he simplifying the game for his young signal-caller? Is McCarthy just not getting it? Is he a bust? These are legitimate questions that may never be answered.
Can changing the pieces change the outcome?
Brosmer’s performance on Sunday will tell us a lot about where the fault lies. If my theory on O’Connell is true, we won’t see the Vikings offense change its approach much. It will be up to the offense to execute the game plan and sustain some drives. If Brosmer can execute the offense the way O’Connell envisions, we’ve got a shot. If he doesn’t, it’s going to be another ugly loss.
As much as I appreciate the culture that KO has built in Minnesota, he may be as much to blame as anyone else for the shortcomings of the 2025 Vikings squad. Based on appearances, Kwesi-Adofo Mensah and Kevin O’Connell have a collaborative relationship, but much like KO is responsible for the on-field product, the praise and the blame for the personnel falls on Adofo-Mensah. I don’t know if ownership would get rid of one without getting rid of the other, but if something doesn’t change starting Sunday, every loss will be one day closer to the next head coaching and GM search.
Maybe that’s dramatic, and perhaps O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah have built up enough good faith to earn one more season, but this is the NFL. Crazier things have happened, and if we don’t see this team start to show life and win some games, the competitive window might be closed, and we may be headed for a full rebuild. However, with the current cap situation, the prevailing logic should be that O’Connell, for sure, and probably Adofo-Mensah will get at least one more season the figure it out. If they don’t, I could foresee a fire sale in the 2027 off-season and a complete overhaul of the staff and roster.
Concluding Thoughts
As it stands now, I personally hope that Brosmer starts the rest of the season. That would mean that the Vikings are winning and we have some juice at the quarterback position. However, Seattle is a really good team this season, and it is going to be incredibly difficult to come home with the win. And it’s not all on the offense to win this game, but they need to do their job and possess and protect the football and score touchdowns. The defense needs to figure out how to stop the run and create turnovers. The magic from last season is dust in the wind, and it is time to see if the 2025 Minnesota Vikings are more than, less than, or exactly mediocre, which is how I would characterize their play so far this season.
I don’t care how ugly it is, but the Vikings desperately need a win. I don’t want to hear from the “we should lose for a higher draft pick” crowd. My competitive spirit would never let me argue for tanking the rest of the season. I expect this team to win, and it is their job to win. If each part of this organization can’t do their jobs, rest assured, ownership will explore all options.
Let’s get W!
Until Next Time.
Skol.
- Jesse M.
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